In the summer of 1965, Ray Bourbon was appearing in a mystery-comedy play, Daddy Was a Lady, in Cripple Creek, Colorado at the Grubstake Theatre. The show would almost open on Broadway a year later. I’ll post a blog entry about the show at a later time, but want to explore one small tidbit that … Continue reading Did Ray Bourbon Appear on “Ed Sullivan”? Maybe …
Year: 2020
Performance Venues Page Updated
I've just updated the Performance Venues on the site, listing all of the documented places Ray appeared, year by year, during his career. At least, these are the venues I've been able to document so far, based on newspaper and magazine ads, reviews, and articles. The material has been drawn from my research library over … Continue reading Performance Venues Page Updated
100th Anniversary of Ray’s First Film Appearances
The year 1919 marked the first year that Ray appeared in movies. During his trial testimony and from other sources, Ray mentioned specific titles he appeared in at Paramount. Ray said he was signed at Paramount after entering a Photoplay contest and while we haven't found evidence of Ray's contest entry and hiring at the … Continue reading 100th Anniversary of Ray’s First Film Appearances
The Story of Ray’s “Sex Change”
Despite a career on stage that spanned fifty years (and thirty years of recordings), Ray is probably most infamous for his 1950s "sex change" hoax. The main artifact of it today is his outrageously titled album, Let Me Tell You About My Operation and the funny title track where Ray sings, "There's been a change in … Continue reading The Story of Ray’s “Sex Change”
Don't Call Me Madam 